Colour skin in sports has always been a matter of discussion throughout the years. Authorities are actively fighting against racism and various campaigns from UEFA are a clear representation of that.
Even now this is a huge problem in European countries and the United States. However, we have numerous examples of black players who managed to achieve success.
John Carew is one of them. Even though racism was never a problem in Norway Carew managed to pave the way for future football players. He was an extremely talented and determined player, for whom colour of skin was not an issue. In this article, we will talk about him and the impact he made on future players.
Career
John Alieu Carew was born on 5 September 1979 in Norway. From a very early age, he was interested in football. His father was Gambian and his mother is Norwegian. Even though racism was not a big problem in Norway, it was still a challenge for Carew to establish himself in the Norwegian national team. Eventually, he managed to become the first black player in the history of the Norwegian football team and was one of the leaders. In 91 matches he scored 24 goals.
As has been mentioned above Carew’s impact cannot be underestimated. He was able to give an example to future generations and black players who struggled with their skin colors. Alexander Tettey who is currently playing for Norwich is one of the most prominent examples of that.
Carew also impacted the phenomenon of the gambling industry in Norway, which was not at its heights back in that period. It does not happen very often when a specific player can make such a huge impact on sports and other fields at the same time. It should be mentioned that at first, he was not particularly favored by Norwegian online casino operators, but the results he had for Aston Villa and the Norwegian national team was a turning point for the Norwegian player. He was frequently featured as a “promotional” player.
Club career
He played at home for Volerenga and Rosenborg. He moved to the Spanish club Valencia, where he was a prominent figure, and played actively in the La Liga and the Champions League. Then he played for Roma and Besiktas. He played for Lyon from 2005 to 2006. He never became a player of the foundation but had a really good period. He was traded for Milan Baros during a deal between Lyon and Aston Villa in January 2007.
On 7 August 2011, he moved as a free agent to West Ham United. On 23 May 2012, John Carew left West Ham United among six other players. The club did not offer him an extension of his contract expiring on June 30, 2012.
Diego Milito’s injury has forced Serie A mammoth Inter to look for options to strengthen the attacking line outside the transfer window. In the end, they turned attention to the free-agent Carew, who after a summer break-up with West Ham United was without a club. At the end of February, the 33-year-old Norwegian arrived in Milan for a medical examination, but doctors determined that Carew was in poor physical shape – John would have needed a lengthy individual program to improve his condition, so the Italian club withdrew his contract offer until the end of the season.
In October 2013, he announced his retirement and now is an aspiring actor.
Carew’s legacy is widely seen in Norway and Aston Villa. Fans still love and adore him for his eccentric personality and hard work. Even though there is a feeling that John could have achieved way more, we can say that he still managed to be remembered as one of the greatest players in the history of Norway.